Mail.ru Group on getting Jungle Heat tooled up for Android (sponsored feature)

Military strategy games are nothing new, especially in the crowded mobile gaming scene. So a new title has to do something to stand out, and Mail.ru Group believe its latest title – Jungle Heat – can not only do that, but also be considered one of the best entries in the genre to boot.

Mikhail Ryazanov, Head of Mobile Department at Mail.ru Games, spoke to us about how the game is played, what makes it unique, and what is planned to make it an even bigger and better experience in the future.

Jungle Heat is easy enough to get the hang of, and Ryazanov says that the main objectives are clearly laid out for you when you step into the breach.
“You collect resources, build and upgrade your army, fortify your camp and defeat your enemies to cement your position as top dog on the battlefield,” he explains. “You can also run against humans or the computer AI.”

There is still a considerable challenge to be found in the game despite this though, and Ryazanov insists experienced strategy fans will find much to enjoy.
“From level to level the game becomes more complicated,” he says. “When you start you just study how to build, train troops and attack. After that the difficulty is upped and you are starting thinking about how to better attack your enemy, by wasting as little heroes and time as possible. After this the game becomes just as challenging as surviving in a real jungle!”

What Mail.Ru claim helps the game actually stand out however, is the way it builds on its basic strategy game structure – with polished presentation and a large number of ways to play.

“It has amazing graphics in the style of TV heroes from 90s, and a vast variety of troops and weaponry types,” Ryazanov explains.

Making a game like Jungle Heat will no doubt be influenced by other titles that have come before it, and Ryazanov is only too happy to reveal them.

“We were inspired by Clash of Clans,” he says. “Android is a high-end and leading market in Russia and in most of other countries, so we were asked by our friends when someone would make a similar game as CoC on the platform – we decided not to wait and made one ourselves as a present to our friends!”

Following in the footsteps of such a popular game might be daunting for some, but when asked what was the toughest part of making Jungle Heat Ryazanov replied: “We don’t fear to face the challenges. We just accepted them and looked to resolve them.”

There are plans to improve the game too in the near future too, allowing users of various versions of Jungle Heat to interact with each other.

“There will be not any major changes made, but we are going to have cross-platform functionality across two mobile platforms and Facebook,” Ryazanov reveals.